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Hello!I finally was able to get bench that matches my piano much better than the black one.I wanted a step up in quality, looks and just to match the piano finish.Thanks to my good friend Minnesota Marty , I got exactly what I wanted.I almost went with a cheaper one but I am glad I did not.This is not an expensive bench compared to other "high end" ones but I feel is a great alternative for people that want something better than entry level yet do not want to jump into a very expensive one.I cannot say anything about how long it will last but at least I am impressed with what I see so far.In normal living room lightning, the colors look closer than when the flash hits it.

Pros:*Looks great!

*Feels solid and well built.

*Affordable.

*Easy to put together.

*Very comfortable (that part I was not even considering)

*No noises at all (thanks to Marty's tips on that!)

*The height is just about perfect and I love that I dont get the horrible look of mine when it is adjusted showing all the metal parts.

Wow, and wow! What a gorgeous setting you have made for yourself, shaolin. Well done!

The new bench looks beautiful and comfy. Where did you get it? The bench that came with my Kawai CP209 is okay but when I lean too far to the treble, it gives a decided, *grooaan*! (Probably bearing too much weight. ) Very annoying, and usually breaks my concentration and "mood".

How are the auralex tiles working out? I would have put them closer to ear level when you're sitting at the piano but that's a small difference. Did you do anything to the BIG wall on the other side of the railing?

Kurt

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One who does what the Friend wants donewill never need a friend.

Wow, and wow! What a gorgeous setting you have made for yourself, shaolin. Well done!

The new bench looks beautiful and comfy. Where did you get it? The bench that came with my Kawai CP209 is okay but when I lean too far to the treble, it gives a decided, *grooaan*! (Probably bearing too much weight. ) Very annoying, and usually breaks my concentration and "mood".

Thanks a lot for the kind words and yes, it makes me feel more relax when playing now.

Originally Posted By: Ed Foote

Greetings, Looks good, but the pictures that really tell the story are of the underside. Why not flip it over and show us what the mechanism looks like? Regards,

Sure, I will add a picture shortly.Thanks

Originally Posted By: KurtZ

Shaolin,

How are the auralex tiles working out? I would have put them closer to ear level when you're sitting at the piano but that's a small difference. Did you do anything to the BIG wall on the other side of the railing?

Kurt

Well I am not sure if those are doing as much since the piano is opening to the other wall. But still, after I added it, I perceived an increase in clarity. Placebo? Who knows. In one of the pictures you can see a black panel on that wall you mentioned..I have 3 of those now. Those are from my HT room and I could hear the difference right away...clearer sound for sure. My plan is to get the same 3 panels but in a better matching color although somehow I am not totally disliking the black.I will add a pic showing them.

Nine months ago, I posted in a thread about benches, specifically Jansen. I had just purchased, unboxed, and assembled a Frederick bench which is identical to the one that Shaolin purchased. There was a lot of negative reaction about my choice. Let me add that I own two Jansen benches in addition to the Frederick. The implication was that it was a cheapo and wouldn't hold up.

My butt is on the bench daily for a minimum of four hours. It has been supporting a 6'2" guy who weighs in at 220 lbs. I have absolutely no complaints and have had no problems with it. No squeaks and no clicks. The vinyl shows no wear at all. Since I am the only one playing the piano, the mechanism on the bench hasn't been changed since the initial adjustment, though checking today, it works just fine.

Is it the same quality as a Jansen? No. Does it serve its purpose and look good doing it? Yes. Is a Kawai the same as a Steingraeber? No. Does a Kawai serve it's purpose well? Yes.

I just checked out the Jansen website and found something new listed. Looking very carefully and comparing the specs, it appears to be identical to the Frederick, but sold through Jansen. It is also more expensive that buying direct from Laabs Music.

Here is the quote from the Jansen site:

"We find this adjustable bench to be the best Chinese imported piano bench we've seen. While still not at the quality level of the American made Jansen Artist bench, in the $150-$400 price range, this is the number one bench on the market in our opinion, and we've seen nearly all that are available. In comparison to the other imports, it offers an extra thick and plush cushion, it is a larger bench in terms of it's dimensions, and above all it's a well constructed and attractive piano bench."

"We find this adjustable bench to be the best Chinese imported piano bench we've seen. While still not at the quality level of the American made Jansen Artist bench, in the $150-$400 price range, this is the number one bench on the market in our opinion, and we've seen nearly all that are available. In comparison to the other imports, it offers an extra thick and plush cushion, it is a larger bench in terms of it's dimensions, and above all it's a well constructed and attractive piano bench."

That is not actually the Jansen site. It is a bench retail site. I am about 99.9% certain that the actual Jansen company would not endorse that product. Here is the Jansen site: http://www.pljansen.com/

I called the Jansen people in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. They don't sell stuff directly to consumers; laymen will have to buy from a Jansen dealer.

That website you are referring to is NOT Jansen's own website. Jansen sells their product to the Jansenpianobench.com website, who then sells it to consumers.

What makes this arrangement REALLY bizarre is that the name "Jansen" appears in the website name, yet the Jansen company does not own the website! This website also sells products that are NOT made by Jansen, yet gives the appearance of Paul Jensen endorsing these non-Jansen products.

That's about what I found out. It seems that the Jansen company is not too bothered by this as the website sells lots of their products. They are very aware of other bench manufactures and didn't speak ill of any of them. They didn't counter the review of the Frederick bench as that was the statement of jansenpianobenches.com.

It all just makes me like my bench more! It's almost like a Mozart opera plot twist! Coloratura, any one?

Thanks for the review, shaolin! I just added this to my wish list on Amazon (you can add anything to that wish list - sold by Amazon or not) which is the default place my family goes to look for gifts for me!

Thanks for the review, shaolin! I just added this to my wish list on Amazon (you can add anything to that wish list - sold by Amazon or not) which is the default place my family goes to look for gifts for me!

I have had this same bench for about 6 months and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Very sturdy, but (bad for me) also very heavy. Facing back surgery in July and having to sell it. If you live in Eastern NC, look it up on Craigslist. Hate to part with it, but I will not be able to lift it after surgery and for some time afterward.

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Bachelor of Music (church music)Master of Church Music (organ, music education)Piano Teacher since 1992Church Musician since 1983

I have had this same bench for about 6 months and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Very sturdy, but (bad for me) also very heavy. Facing back surgery in July and having to sell it. If you live in Eastern NC, look it up on Craigslist. Hate to part with it, but I will not be able to lift it after surgery and for some time afterward.

Just out of curiosity, why are you lifting your piano bench? Mine stays put pretty much all of the time. I might give it a nudge here or there, but no reason to ever lift it off the ground.

They are also available on eBay with an "or best offer" listing. There are a number of color and finish variations to choose from. They are marketed from Jim Laabs Music where Shaolin purchased his bench. Me too.

I think that in a true comparison, it would be nice to have an inverted view of the Jansen side by side with the Frederick. The engineer in me says that there is a world of difference between the two benches in terms of the mechanism itself. Other than that, wood is wood and vinyl is vinyl. I hope it serves you for a long time.

I think that in a true comparison, it would be nice to have an inverted view of the Jansen side by side with the Frederick. The engineer in me says that there is a world of difference between the two benches in terms of the mechanism itself. Other than that, wood is wood and vinyl is vinyl. I hope it serves you for a long time.

Yeah that would be nice to see how it looks. Never seen one of those.

Originally Posted By: lilylady

Your room is looking so nice now, Shaolin. I particularly like the new artwork on the stair walls!

made you smile

Thanks, I stole them from my HT room I must get some that match the rest of the decor soon, just wanetd to make sure they made a difference..and yes they do!